2013-03-20

If you are planning on betting on the upcoming MLB (Major League Baseball) season, the most important single tip is to get as much information about it as you can. This means finding out what kind of quality the teams have when it comes to pitchers and hitters, and whether there are issues such as injuries or off-field problems that might have a negative impact. It is also worth looking at statistics, but make sure that they are up to date, because things change regularly in professional sports – due to the simple fact that MLB players, like other athletes, become less effective with age.

It is also well worth looking at the odds when you are making a future bet on the winners of either the American or National Leagues, or the World Series, but these should only be treated as a guide. Current pre-season favourites for the new season include the likes of Nationals, the Dodgers and the Tigers, and it should be borne in mind that teams do not get awarded this favourite status for no good reason – it generally reflects the quality they have in their sides. Of course betting a low odds favourite will not make you as much money should it prove a winning bet, but there will be some variance in odds between sports betting sites – so you should look around for the best odds you can get.

Of course one tip for limiting the risk involved is to wait and see how the MLB season progresses before you make your bet, to see if one of the teams outside of the favourites shows strong form. While you are waiting you have the option of playing a game such as Hot Shot - which is a slots game devoted to baseball – at an online casino like Gaming Club. Hot Shot has five reels and nine pay lines, and the presence of a wild symbol (a fiery baseball) can stand in for other symbols to create winning combinations – which greatly increases your chances of winning a payout. All of the reel icons are baseball related, including players like pitchers and hitters, while the sound effects of crowd noise and bats hitting baseballs really make Hot Shot come alive for any lover of the game and betting.

2013-03-07

Phillies outfield prospect Tyson Gillies is a very skilled player that has had some well documented ups and downs in recent years. Being traded, bouncing back from several injuries and a return from a suspension have induced plenty of emotion from the lefty batter, but an opportunity to play for his home country of Canada in the World Baseball Classic has the Vancouver native more excited about the game than he's been in some time.

"It's always a dream come true to represent your country, doing something you love," Gillies said from Team Canada's training facility this week. "The excitement level has been through the roof for everyone out here in Arizona."

The 24-year-old, who plays with a hearing impairment, has experienced some considerable injury issues since the Phillies acquired him in the 2009 trade that sent Cliff Lee to Seattle. A recurring left hamstring ailment, a troublesome foot problem and a concussion that forced Gillies to miss six weeks of action following a collision in the outfield last year have limited him to 106 games in three seasons in the Phillies organization. Additionally, he was arrested for drug possession in 2010, although those charges were dropped. And last season, Gillies was suspended by the Phillies for violating team rules following a non-physical confrontation with the Double-A Reading Phillies bus driver. The arrest and the bus outburst were quite uncharacteristic for the 6-foot-2 205-pounder, as his behavior is typically on the exemplary side among his peers.

Expected to bat lead-off for Team Canada, Gillies, who was recently ranked as the Phils' 9th best prospect, performed well last year, when he was active, posting a .299/.369/.440 line with nine steals in 75 games during the 2012 regular season.

While the World Baseball Classic got rolling last week, the first round Pool D games, which feature Canada and the United States, will begin on Thursday, with each of the aforementioned clubs seeing their initial 2013 tournament action on Friday.

Armed with a solid bat, great speed and sparkling defense, Gillies feels as though the chase for a world championship is extra special because he's doing it along side some Phillies teammates, including his close friend, righty hurler Scott Mathieson, another Vancouver resident that previously spent time in the big leagues with the Phils, and team manager Ernie Whitt, a Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer that is currently the Phillies' minor league catching coordinator.